Mayner

I have dabbled in modelling Irish Railways in OO, N during the late 70s/early 80s, before attempting to model 5'3" on 21mm and 3' on 12mm, I have a couple of Large Scale Irish 3' gauge items 15mm Scale on 45mm (G/Gauge 1 track. I have also dabbled in American outline N (1:160) and British Outline EM, my main interest is in model making rather than running or collecting rtr and not really interested in how. Ironically the shift to N in the late 70s was driven mainly with frustration with my attempts to model Irish railways in OO and thought that I would be less tempted to attempt modelling Irish railways in N, but ended up with a reasonably realistic Irish outline layout using repainted/modified rtr and scratchbuilt buildings and structures. I don't get hung up on the designation of my Irish Broad and Narrow gauge locos and stock, they are simply 4mm Scale that run on 12mm or 21mm gauge track with wheel profiles and running clearance based on EM Gauge Society clearances, the chances of being invited to run on another 21mm or 21mm gauge layout are fairly slim.

A preserved loco is the most likely candidate given IRMs focus on accuracy and practice of "measuring up" existing locos and stock when producing a model. Designing and manufacturing a model of a MGWR or GSWR design to the same standard would be challenging involving a lot of guesswork as available drawings and information is somewhat sketchy in nature. Also the RPSI had their loco fleet digitally scanned about 10-15 years ago apparrently for modelling purposes.

The cabin appears to date from GSR/CIE re-signalling of Cork station and was similar in general styling to other large GSR cabins (e.g. Athenry, Dunlaoire, Claremorris) Listed with 110 levers the largest mechanical lever frame in Ireland in Railway Lines of CIE & NIR 1985, its likely that the interior of the cabin would have been modified/working levers reduced as the track layout was modified and colour light signalling introduced from the late 80s onwards. As Jhb states the cabin was substantially "modernised" from its original form in the IE era substantially changing the appearance of the building the original timber window frames replaced with aluminium (tnted?) glazing and external window cleaning walkways added. https://www.flickr.com/photos/86202570@N02/15549327157

Quite a break through today when I found a set of loco driving wheels I mislaid over a year ago while assembling a 52 Class 4-4-0. The collection of unfinished projects gets temproariily ? larger before it gets smaller 1-52 Class waits its driving wheels, 4 part built 650 Class 2-4-0, 3 J15/101 Class. I thought the best option was to pause work on the MGWR 2-4-0 and fit No 93s wheels and return the loco to working order before I mislay/loose the parts again. Interestingly I packed the 4-4-0 wheel sets in a drawer labeled "Gibson 6'7" wheelsets when I mislaid the parts in 2022! 1st job is to degrease the wheelsets, before masking the tyres before priming and painting the parts before re-assembling the loco, decided at the same time to fit buffer heads and number plates to a J15 as the final touches in completing a J15 started about 20 years ago!

I hadn't time to do anything in the Workshop since June as a result of family commitments, but managed to make some time for myself in recent weeks including dusting off some long unfinished projects. First up is completing a OO Gauge 650 Class for a customer to be followed by some 21mm locos for myself. The 650 class was designed to be assembled in OO or 21mm gauge with a "fold up" OO gauge chassis to speed up assembly. I used a tapered broach to open up the axle holes for the bearings before folding up the chassis. Basic chassis folded up and wheels fitted before test fitting the body to check running clearances. The body is from a 2017 test build of the loco, I am not sure what happened to the original n/s boiler/smokebox assembly. OO Gauge Chassis with non-working inside valve gear fitted, Alan Edgar a modeller in the UK assembled a 650 Class with working valve gear in 21mm gauge apparently using some of the valve gear parts. I temporarily fitted the wheels at this stage to check brake gear fit and clearances. Loco chassis assembled with brake gear fitted. The brake gear is a separate removable sub assembly which helps simply painting and assembly. Tender Chassis before folding to shape! Basic tender assembly the tender is designed with a fixed trailing and floating leading and centre axles to transfer weight from the front of the tender to the rear of the loco important on locos like 2-4-0s and 4-4-0s Completed loco and tender chassis ready for clean-up and painting. I need to locate the remainder of that 2015 test build or assemble a replacement! I have at least four MGWR 2-4-0-650 Class test builds to complete for myself (all different variations) which should keep me busy for a couple of years without starting any new projects. I may complete some as static models rather than motorise as the majority of the locos I built over that past 30 years have ended up in display cases and seldom run on a layout.

J M Design and Leslies sales in terms of the numbers of individual wagons sold are likely to be insignificant in terms of IRM sales of individual wagons. Going back to the CIE Palvan in the absence of a rtr model, a reasonable representation can be constructed from the Parkside Dundas kit and some plasticard. The prototype vans used a version of the Bulleid Triangulated underframe but with running and break gear similar to the Parkside model.

Personally I was not surprised by IRMs announcement of the Bulleid Opens. I knew for some time that IRM was planning to introduce models of CIE stock dating from the mid-1950 hence the focus on high quality 3D printed models of older or more obscure wagons that were unlikely to be viable to produce as injection moulded plastic model. The JM Design Open is a model of the traditional Irish Standard wooden bodied open introduced up to the mid 1950s as opposed to the new IRM Bulleid Open. At this stage its difficult to gauge how the introduction of new IRM wagons will impact on sales of existing JM Design models, a high proportion of our repeat customers appear to be collectors who buy 1-2 of each type of wagon when released, rather than building a rake of wagons Although a number of Irish manufacturers (kit and rtr) ceased operating during during the past 20 years the availability of high quality rtr models and kits of Irish locos and stock is at its highest largely through the efforts of MM and IRM. Before the arrival of MM 201 and B141 modellers were dependent on kitbuding, modified rtr or scratchbuilding to produce models of Irish locos and stock. the high quality rtr models produced by IRM in recent years would have been undreamed of 10 years earlier. I believe that there is likely to continue to be a place for kit and scratchbuilding despite the arrival of current high quality rtr, its unlikely to be viable to produce models of all the "glaring gaps" in rolling stock due to the relatively small size of market (low demand) and sheer variety of locos and stock that ran on the Irish railways up to the early 2000s. MM and IRM focus on stock were customers are likely to buy a rake of coaches/wagons rather than individual items like a Goods Brake Van, Passenger Brake. One of the limiting factors on demand is that many modellers are content to run re-painted models models of British wagons and "cannot see the point" in paying a premium for more accurate models of Irish stock. One UK customer to he credit replaces his UK open wagon chassis with the JM Design IRCH Open chassis. For me the main benefit of the JM Design 3D printed wagons is that it allowed me to fill out my wagon fleet quicker than by scratch or kit building adding a number of wagons I had been planning to build for the past 40 years with minimal effort.

Those DSER/DWWR 2-4-0T and 2-4-2T locos were really distinctive powerful looking locos with their relatively high pitched large diameter boiler contrasting significantly with other "Southern" tank locos. Although the ex-DSER 2-4-0T and 2-4-2T were considered to be obsolete by the GSR they appeared to be capable locos working South Eastern Suburban passenger services until replaced by diesels. The original DWWR 2-4-2T were rebuilds of the 2-4-0T, its a pity the GSR did not re-build the remaining 3 2-4-0T as 2-4-2T bringing them into line with the rest of the fleet allowing all ex-DSER suburban tanks to work through to Bray and Greystones, the small bunkers apparrently restricted the 2-4-0T to Amiens St-Dunlaoire workings and Pier Trains

Important point the large B only appeared on these wagons from 1977 onwards on wagons retained for sugar beet traffic. There wasn't a green and grey era with the Bulleid Opens as such the wagons ran with unpainted galvanised bodies on grey mild steel underframes from their introduction in 1956 to their withdrawl from general traffic in the mid 70s, though the galvanised bodywork on a brand new wagon would have been a lot shinier than one that was in service for close to 20 years. CIE continued to use wooden bodied opens to carry traditional style British Rail type A & B containers or farm machinery into the mid 70s The brown on the underframe likely to be spray primer rust protection to the chassis following inspection/overhaul. 12319 was part pf a group corrugated open dumped at Liffey Junction after being used a spoil wagons by the PW Department in connection with the DART project

001 Class loco 20 laden wagons 20T Brake van or 28 with 30T Brake on South Wexford Line east of Campile 001 Class loco 40 Laden wagons 20 or 30T Brake Van Campile-Thurles or Mallow Beet factories Campile basically functioned as a small marshalling yard during the annual Beet Campaign due to load restrictions on Taylorstown Bank. Trains were restricted to 380T with 20T Brake and 550 with 30T Brake between Campile and Wellington Bridge and were allowed to load to 780 tons between Campile and Thurles or Mallow.

Finally made some time to repair the decayed section of track base on the High Line and run the first train on the Jackson County in six months! . I used a piece of treated 6X2 that was stored outside for the past 17 years for the repair, original splice piece had rotted right through. I basically clamped the replacement piece to the track base with a large G clamp and nailed new piece in place with 4' Paslode nails with a 20oz hammer, the charger for the Paslode gun dies since it was last used about 4 years ago. Interesting little sign of similar decay in the track bases or supports on the High-Line section of the railroad. Full size trestles and bridges have been know to collapse suddenly as a result of the lack of maintenance, so the Jackson County is in similar company 463 eases her way across with a train of laden stock cars and empty box cars for ore loading, typical of RGS operation in its final years. The train has made it to Utah Junction without further incident, the moss that covered much of this area during the past six months is now starting to die off and due a genera tidy up, and take the coal/ore tipple and Depot building out of storage. The tunnel was originally inspired by the Welsh Highland Railway in the Aberglasslyn pass, trains sometimes stall on the the grade and curved section of track between Utah Junction, but 463 just made it round. The trackbase on the curve is supported on slabs of concrete disturbed by the roots of the large tree in the backgound, the tunnel has also sunk relative to the trackbases over the past 16-17 years 12' to 1' civl engineering challenges on a 1:20.3 scale railway! Train is running under caution on this section as a result of track defects from damage in last January's Cyclone and clean up, a tree (full size) fell on the track base in this area. There is a kink in the left hand rail in front of the loco which as narrowed the gauge, but loco stayed on at very slow speed. More storm damage, loco made it across without de-railing , but lost traction because of the dip. This problem was corrected by lifting and packing the track on the low spot with a timber packer and restoring 'level top" by carefully removing the dip with my trusty 20oz clawhammer. Train eventually reached Jackson City without further incident apart from slipping on the grade through the yard, 1:20.3 scale equivalent of poor traction as a result of the lack of use (grass, rust,lack of sand.) Decided to return home around the other side of the circle and splitting the train due to the poor state of the track in the tunnel area. Forts moved the stock cars and a gondola to Arboles, firewood recovered from the tunnel area. The track in this area becomes engulfed in moss during the winter months which has now died off. 463 collects the boxcars from Jackson City having first having gone through the ritual of taking the stock cars to Arboles and returning with the caboose before running round and coupling to her train/ 463 now adds the stock cars and gondolas to her train, stock cars usually appear coupled next to the loco in mixed freights during the final years of RGS operation. 463 and the stock cars have uncoupled from the gondola and box cars and reverses her train on the tail track of the wye at Utah Junction, the wye is probably one to the most useful features of the railway. 463 and the stock cars have now turned on the wye and are running forward to collect the caboose before departing up the High Line 1:20.3 scale de-railments are more realistic! 463 managed to split the points while departing up the high line with her train and had gone a bit far to 'steam her" back on to the rails needing a helping had to get her back on the rails! This sort of thing usually happens just before tea time or when I am in a hurry to put my trains away after an operating session. Cannot identify an immediate cause of the de-railment as the switch rail is fitting snuggly against the stock rail after I pushed 463 back on, though may not have been fully home beforehand. 463 successfully mad it round the curve onto the High Line without slipping, her normal maximum load is 8 cars and a caboose, but it tends to stuff things up requiring additional switching at the staging.

Lithium-ion battery device fires (bikes, phones, laptops, tools) rather than cars has become a significant issue in recent years las Li devices have become more prevelant https://www.fireandemergency.nz/home-fire-safety/home-fire-hazards/lithium-ion-battery-safety/. NZ fire service have been running a number of 'controlled burns" to show how quickly a Li fire can consume a typical NZ timber frame house. For us the potential killer is the phone or laptop on charge in a bedroom, Li powered garden and power tools are in the workshop. Don't know if we will get around to changing to an electric car or hybrid, we hope to get at least 10 years out of our current car a 10 year old Japanese import same as we did with out last car.

Although they may have lost their "CEMENT ONLY' "RETURN TO DROGHEDA lettering ex-GN vans are likely to have continued to carry bagged cement (along with CIEs H Vans) until the traffic was palletised in 1976. The Cement Bubbles were built to carry an entirely new traffic originally to Cork, Belfast and Dublin, with little expansion until the Mid 70s with the opening of depots at Athenry, Tullamore, Sligo, Westport, ironically Drogeda-Athy bulk cement traffic was transported in a hopper version of the GN bagged cement wagon In the overall scheme of things the 138 ex-GNR (54-56)wagons were relatively insignificant in numbers to transport the Boyne Road plant traffic, the GN 200 12t "Standard Covered Wagons" for cement traffic from the late 30s onwards. The GNR wagons were double sheeted (internally) and 3" thick floor boards to stand up to carrying bagged cement, hard on both the wagons and the men that loaded-unloaded the wagons. The ex-GN wooden wagons would have gone by the late 60s. The number of ex-GN wagons available for cement traffic would have been insignificant in comparison with the approx. 2700 H Vans built by CIE from the mid 1940s to late 1950s

Did Fry produce models of any of the private operators that were absorbed into the GSR or ceased to operate following the 1934 Transport Act? My father who lived near Brittas County Dublin in the 1930s spoke fondly of the "Paragon Bus Company" that operated a direct Dublin-New Ross Bus service and of the DBST running converted Model T busses and not a railway enthusiast he also spoke of Model Ts operating on the Clogher Valley. An friend of my father lived beside the DBST at Crooksling spoke about borrowing a p.w. trolley (which had a damaged wheel) for evening/nightime joy-rides as young adults to-Brittas.

Its challenging forming details like quoins from embossed plasticard or Wills Scenic Materials due to the thickness of the sheet, there days I usually model quoins, window frames and building details in etched brass rather than plasticard, but seldom get round to actually assembling the buildings. Some fine scale modellers 4mm modellers clad their buildings 'one-brick at a time" using individual paper "bricks" from punched cards once used to programme computers and CNC machinery back in the day. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/110534-computer-chad-bricks/ Laying individual computer bricks was said to be slow, but calming and therapeutic and practiced by famous building/structure modellers including Alan Downes , Bow Barlow and Iain Rice

Back to an October 2020 Bush Tramway Operating Day after the 1st round of Covid restrictions were lifted General view carriage shed and workshop The rail truck on the right is a restored "Bush Jigger" converted from a 1940 White truck to transport workers and equipment on a Bush Tramway (forestry railway in the Rotorua area and now used to give "jigger rides" between trains! Jigger Rides using self propelled rail trollies is a popular feature on some New Zealand heritage railways The Jigger has a built in turntable to avoid running backwards Sole operating steam loco a Peckett 0-6-0T once owned by the Pukemiro Coal Company which connected with the Main Line at this location The steam train currently operates between the station and the bottom end of the line, coach was once used on local coal miners trains, one coach is about the limit with this loco because of the grades. Busy time at Pukemiro Junction with trains connecting. Currently the top end of the line is worked by a 2 coach set topped and tailed by small Drewry diesels basically an 0-4-0 150hp version of the British Drewry 204hp 0-6-0 diesels (04 Class) Steam train arriving as diesels wait with connection. Typical NZR coach interior Diesel waits to depart vintage car enthusiasts on day out Jigger returning with passengers Another recently restored Jigger in the workshop Typical New Zealand level crossing, ridge in background is an earthwork screening a large open cast coal mine F Class 0-6-0ST once the mainstay of the line currently out of service requiring major boiler work Class B Climax currently undergoing major overhaul

Going totally off topic the 80 Class sets were borrowed (leased/hired) by IE in response to an acute coaching stock shortage in the mid/late 1980s, under the Government's 'Building on Reality Programme" there was to be no further investment in the railways after IE completed the Cork Line re-signalling and the MK3 Main Line Coach order. As far as I recall one 80 Class set was used to work the Bray-Greystones shuttle, a second to work Cork-Cobh and a third to cover maintenance as sets were rotated between Bray and Cork as it would have been extremely challenging to keep three sets in operation simultaneously. The Bray-Greystones shuttle were replaced by a bus service when the 80 Class sets were returned to NIR in the mid 90s, suburban train services not restored until the DART was extended to Bray in the early 2000s I don't thing 80 Class regularly worked Maynooth suburban trains the original service was worked by a AEC Push-pull set with the Connolly-Sligo and Connolly-Rosslare sets working early morning Maynooth-Connolly services before taking up their main-line diagrams. Maynooth trains were mainly hauled stock until replaced by diesel railcars in the mid-late 90s. A 2 Coach MK3 Push Pull set haulled by a 141 with the loco running round regularly operated a Saturday afternoon Connolly-Maynooth service in the Mid 90s. Born out of an Albert Reynolds election promise Maynooth was the poor relation of Dublin Suburban services.

Facing up to reality really, I get most of my enjoyment out of buiding models and tend to loose interest once I complete the main assembly, ending up with a lot ofpart completed models. I get a great kick out of knowing that some of my kits/models are running on other peoples layouts. I had no plans for further loco kits after I completed the 52 Class, but am tempted to produce a set of parts for a 60 Class and a Midland "Standard Goods". My most successful layouts mainly N tended to be layouts that were interesting to operate rather than scenically complete, with a couple of stations or yards with a sense that trains were going and arriving from somewhere, I struggle to keep interest in a small or cameo layout running short trains even if it operates 100% reliably.

One 80 Class set was used on Bray-Greystones shuttles, a second on Cork-Cobh suburban trains. The third a maintenance spare rotating between the Greystones and Cobh sets, one of its more unusual workings was a Sunday morning Dunlaoire-Heuston 'Boat-Train rather than the usual Dublin City Services bus transfer between Dunlaoire and Connolly. Its possible an 80 Class set was rotated between Dublin and Cork on a weekly basis for maintenance purposes, though I don't know if the transfer working was a revenue or ECS working. Passengers were regularly carried in Mitsui 2600 railcar sets on Cork-Dublin transfer working during the 1990s a long slow uncomfortable journey compared with a MK3 set. Another oddity was that IE advertised a Sunday afternoon/evening Mayo-Waterford passenger service reversing at Kildare following the arrival of the 2700 railcar sets in the late 90s most likely aimed at Waterford College of Technology students. Checked out Kildare Station on the appointed date to find a long 80 Class set (Most likely 10 car) waiting in the platform, but no signs of a 70 Class set. The 80 Class was actually on a NIR Curragh Race Special. IE stopped advertising its Mayo-Waterford Sunday evening service, the 2700s were eventually introduced into service on Pearse-Drogheda trains after a very long commissioning period apparently as a result of design and manufacturing defects.

Had several 'dream" layouts Irish and American down the years, though none progressed to far as I seldom stayed in the same place/country too long. I have been planning to build a 21mm gauge layout based on Kiltimagh on the Burma Road for the past 30 years and beyond setting up the baseboard haven't really progressed further during the past 10 years at this stage its doubtful if I will ever reach the tracklayng stage on an Irish 4mm layout in 21mm or OO I am struggling at this stage to find time for modelling as a result of family commitments and its likely we will have to downsize at some stage to a smaller property and possibly dust off the American N gauge I had in storage for the past 20 years and cull/dispose of my Irish 4mm and American Large Scale collections.

I think you are missing the fundamental purpose of the majority of so called preserved railways, whatever its declared objectives the Bush Tramway Club and a lot of other similar organisations is a place where the member can 'hang out' have a natter, play with trains and restore things rather than any grand educational or historic purpose. The restored station, locos and passenger stock at the front of house brings in the fare revenue that helps along with donations and membership subscriptions to play trains, restored freight stock is unikely to generate income to pay for the restoration unless you have enough people willing to pay for photo charters to make it worth while. The biggest challenge facing these organisations is that people that established these groups during the 60s/70s are now quite elderly and there are fewer people coming through in their middle age to take their place. Interestingly apart from the bogie flat most of the stock in photo three is in reasonable 'in service' condition and would not look out of place on a demonstration freight.

Made some time to go on walkabout after dropping daughter at School on Monday had originally planned on a bush walk (walk in the woods) but ended checking out the Bush Tramway Clubs Pukemiro Junction Yard and the top end of the Glen Afton branch, one of my escapes when I am under pressure. The Club which was founded to preserve and restore New Zealand Bush (Logging) locos and stock in the early 60s took over the top end of New Zealand Railways Glen Afton Branch which served several collieries in the area west of Huntly the largest centre in the Waikato Coalfield. The top end of the Glen Afton closed when the centre section of the branch and Rotowaro township(Lake of glowing embers) was abandoned for the new opencast Rotowaro mine constructed to serve the Glenbrook Steel Mill near Auckland. The Bush Tramway Club operation is unusual in that Pukemiro Junction the operating base and station is in the middle of the line with loco hauled passenger trains 'topped and tailed" by locos as there are no run round loops at either end of the line. The railway traditionally operated on the 1st Sunday of the month from March to December when the fire risk was low, but planning to operate monthly in 2024. https://www.bushtramwayclub.com/index.html Hadn't visited the line in several years, noticable change was a carriage shed to protect the coaches and an AG Price E Class Bush Lokie (a Climax Heisler cross) stuffed and mounted. Looking up the line towards Glen Afton with classical NZR style water vat the main running line on the right the Branch to Pukemiro Colliery veered off at a triangular junction in the left distance, the colliery had its own Peckett 0-6-0T loco which is currently the sole operating steam loco on the railway. Looking down the line towards the station and yard, steam loco bunker on the right is from a Heisler geared steam loco under restoration, diesel is a typical AG Price 0-4-0 dating from the 50s-60s. This type of loco are still used to shunt railway works and are often hired out to Industrial sites for yard shunting though no longer in "main line" use' Rail is the original from NZR days an obsolete profile no longer available. The station building is a typical NZR wooden station building, in this care the original Rotowaro station building, the building with the lean to canopy is a cafe typical NZ corrugated iron roof and timber weatherboard/framing construction. Classic NZR portable workshop/store/bunkhouse Recent re-sleepering and ballasting carried out at the Rotowaro (East) end of the yard, sleeper stack protected from the rail with corrugated iron! The top end of the branch is basically on a continuous 1:50 ish. grade and very twisty. Interesting bit of trackwork Stub switch/point outside carriage works Top end of the line at Glen Afton line is on a steep grade and in a cutting, branch was severed by road widening, former station yard and colliery was behind the stand of trees in the distance. Memorial to 1939 Glen Afton coal mine disaster.

Most Irish tank wagons up to the mid 1960s were standard British RCH designs assembled by builders like Hurst Nelson and Charles Roberts not dissimilar to the Slaters O Gauge and Bachmann OO Gauge RCH wagons, the main physical difference between the Class A and B wagons was the discharge arrangement the Class A through a siphon pipe on top of the barrel and the B through a discharge pipe under the wagon operated by a hand wheel on the top! CIE started building 'modern" vacuum braked tank wagons in the early-mid 60s for Foynes-Drogheda & Limerick fuel oil traffic for Cement Limited and later built small batches of tank wagons in the early 70s for Burmah (6 wagons) possibly general use and fuel oil traffic to loco depots and bus garages. The ESSO wagons were owned by ESSO Teo and were re-gauged type A & B Charles Roberts built ESSO tank wagons dating from the late 50s made redundant by the introduction of larger air braked wagons. The majority of the older tank wagons were dumped/stored in the Sherriff St/East Wall Yard until the yard was cleared out during the early 2000s. One interesting group of wagons similar to the Dapol Type A anchor mounted wagons formerly owned by Caltex/Texaco that were used on North Wall-Inchacore fuel trains into the late 70s early 80s. Originally branded CALTEX they were re-branded TEXACO and ended up with the CALTEX lettering "grinning" through the paintwork an interesting lettering/weathering challenge. Not great photos taken late afternoon late 90sThe Irish Shell Wagon is a late 1920s RCH Type A with silver body and red solebars 113 is one of the Anchor mounted Caltex wagons re-branded as Texaco. The Caltex wagon in the bottom photo is an older anchor mounted Class A design with a rivet3ed tank barrel possibly dating from the 1940s Type A tank wagons originally had a horizontal orange? strip at mode barrel and black solebars, later changed to red solebars!

Bit like the real RGS keep maintenance to the absolute minimum to run the odd train. Haven't had much time or interest in running/maintaining the garden railway during the last couple of years. Last spring-summer's La-Niña weather systems with the tail end of tropical cyclones has not helped, though we are due dry El-Niño systems this spring-summer hopefully without the bushfires/flashfloods Australia is already experiencing. Currently everything is too saturated to burn and the raised track base has worked well when the garden floods after heavy rain, at least we haven't got crocs, snakes and poisonous spiders, though we did see a copperhead while on holiday in the States Track gang is getting a bit scarce we had a very active garden railway group with monthly running sessions on each others railways when we started out, but became defunct in recent years younger members haven't the time to play with trains, others moving on or passing away

Its an industrial railway doing what its intended to do and no more transporting peat from the loading points to the power-stations, Briquette plants and road transfer plants. Permanent way and rolling stock is radically different from heavy rail practice. Most of the track portable and permanent is sectional complete with Setrack Points, Portable Track is usually laid directly on graded peat on polythene on the surface of the bog, using BNM custom buolt graders/track laying machines, permanent track is usually laid on polythene under lay on ravel ballast, peat and grass help bind everything together. The wagons are unusual in that the wheels rotate independenty on the axle which both improves stability and reduces wear on track and wagons are completely un-braked. Operation was intensive in its heyday operating 24hr daily 365 to feed the power stations transporting around 5million tonnes annually mpre than twice CIE/IEs tonnage. Trains operated on line of sight, drivers possibly on bonus, de-railed wagons were simply dumped at the line side and recovered at a later date the focus was on feeding the power stations. The commercially successful Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Tourist operation closed because it was disruptive to peat traffic to the then new West Offaly Powerstation. The maintenance depots on some of the systems had an air of a scrapyard with old or obsolete locos and stock stored out of use since the 80s as Wagon Masters replaced the R&H locos of the 40s-60s, the Wagonmasters later replaced by more modern BNM designed locos from the late 80s onwards, toegther with a bewildering variety of peat harvesting machinery as sod gave way to milled peat production. Wear and tear on locos, stock, track and bog machinery would have been phenonomal with the sheer volume and intensity of traffic